Change the Fate's Design
by Christene Cullen
Summary: Life in the castle was something both Eugene and Rapunzel will have to adjust to together. Mostly just cute fluff. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: Just a quick note before we start. This is my first Tangled fic, and I hope you all like it! Rated T for mild violence and maybe later chapters...? Pretty much to be on the safe side. Pleease review, I live off of reviews! I love hearing what you all have to say and how you think I could make my stories better!

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><p>"Rapunzel?"<p>

Flynn's voice echoed, even in the walls of the tower, and I struggled helplessly against the chains that held me bound to the wall. I tried to scream, but all that came out were muffled strains of my words. I couldn't warn him with my voice, so my mind willed Flynn to turn and run now, before it was too late.

"Rapunzel, let down your hair!"

I inhaled sharply, pulling with all my strength against the iron chains. I screamed, chest heaving, heart throbbing faster than ever, but still, nothing. Nothing more than what sounded like squeaks exited the gag. All of my muscles braced against the chains, and I wished and prayed and hoped that there would be a weak link and they would give in. But my mother was too selfish and intelligent to not have checked, and all I heard was the sound of metal on metal as I pulled and strained. The metal dug into my wrists, but I couldn't feel the pain. All I could feel was cold, harsh fear. It gripped my mind in it's long, spindly hand, caused me to panic and shudder and jolt like a fish out of water. I didn't know how else to handle this situation, but I did know that I couldn't give up, not when a friend's life was on the line.

I watched in sheer horror as my mother, the woman I had loved, who had tended to me, raised me as her own, dropped my hair down for Flynn, helping him climb to his demise. I struggled and screamed, tore at the chains, braced against them praying for a miracle, but none came. In record time, Flynn was visible through the small window, his voice full of relief. "Rapunzel, I thought I'd never see you again." His face contorted with shock upon the image that greeted him, though, as I struggled and tried to scream, still muffled by my gag, still a prisoner of the woman who I had once loved. Now all I could feel for her was hatred. My eyes widened in horror and I tried to warn the dashing thief as the very same woman approached him from behind, a knife clutched in her hand, but it was too late. My silent sentences that were little more than sounds made no sense to him, and before he could even turn around, she had plunged the knife into Flynn's lower abdomen, causing him to groan and double over. A small moan escaped his lips and he fell to the ground with a thud, causing me to pull at the chains, try my hardest to get free. All I could think was that I had to heal him. I had to get to him so I could take care of him, make this all better, or at least fix him, since there was no hope of my life ever being pieced back together.

"Now look what you've done, Rapunzel."

My eyes grew wide with horror as I watched Flynn clutch at his side and curl into a ball on the ground, the pain clearly etched on his face. I couldn't help him. I was weak and useless, nothing more than a tool in Gothel's plan to live forever. I hated her. I hated her more than ever right now, more than I ever thought I could hate a person.

"Oh, don't worry dear, our secret will die with him."

Die. Flynn was going to die there, in vain, for nothing. And I would die, too. I would live with Gothel forever, wherever she decided to lock me up next, and I would never be free. Those past three days had been absolute heaven, and now it was being ripped away from me, faster than it had been given. Fate was a cruel, cruel joker, I couldn't help but conclude as I continued tugging and bracing and pulling, heaving and pushing and trying. I would never stop trying.

"And as for us, we are going where no one will ever find you again!"

Gothel undid the chain holding me to the floor, but I just pulled against her. She was bigger than me and had more leverage, but I had more life, more will power, and more reason to fight. I struggled as she reprimanded me with a quick, "Rapunzel, really! Enough already!" She had me close enough to the trap door, but I wouldn't go. I refused. She would not have her way with me like she had these past eighteen years.

"Stop fighting me!" She cried, frustrated by the way I was pulling against her chains. She hated that I had grown a mind of my own, I could tell by the way she looked at me with utter frustration and anger.

Finally I managed to use my shoulder to get the gag out of my mouth, and I inhaled deeply, my chest heaving from the physical exertion as I fell to my knees and pushed away from her. She continued pulling at my chains, but I had my words now.

"No!" The world fell from my lips, and the rest poured forth as if I had been uncorked. "I won't stop! For every minute of the rest of my life, I will fight. I will never stop trying to get away from you!" I spat the words out, my anger evident on my face as I continued pulling against the chains. All I could think was that Flynn was bleeding out, and I needed to save him. If I didn't hurry, he would die quickly, and I wouldn't let that happen. My heart swelled at the very thought of the man who had brought me my freedom. He deserved better than death in an empty tower, and he definitely didn't deserve to lose his life in this manner.

My breath was coming in ragged gasps from struggling, and finally my facial features softened as I realized what had to be done. I had to save him, and Gothel had to get what she wanted for that to be done. I was willing to sacrifice myself just to know that somewhere, Eugene was alive and well. That in itself would make me happier than anything else, and that thought alone could keep me going. "But, if you let me save him, I will go with you," I said, my voice soft and calculating. Her face as well softened in thought, and from the window, I heard Flynn whimper.

"No, no Rapunzel," He cried, his voice marred with pain. He was in so much pain. The words echoed through my head and I knew I needed to make that pain go away. I needed to make him better, heal him and keep him safe and happy. It didn't matter what happened to me, as long as Flynn was safe and alive.

I continued with my barter. "I'll never run, I'll never try to escape. Just let me heal him, and you and I will be together, forever, just like you want! Everything will be like it was, I promise." I breathed deep, my plea leaving the air electrified with tension. She was thinking. Gothel knew that if I made a promise, I usually kept them. And all she wanted was to live forever. Should she risk it? I could read her thoughts as she considered, and my mind willed her to think faster. The longer we sat there, the more blood Flynn lost. I wasn't going to lose him, not now. I couldn't. "Just like you want," I said in a breathy voice. I was still physically exhausted from struggling. "Just let me heal him," I plead, my eyes wide, pleading. She couldn't say no. She couldn't deny me this one last request. Her face was slowly changing, turning from anger and rage and softening. This made her happy, I could tell. She didn't like that I struggled, and it was understandable. I watched in mild horror as she reattached my chains to the floor, thinking she was just going to go and finish Flynn off. Instead, though, she grabbed another set of chains and manacled him to the wall, his back against a support beam. Eugene's face distorted in pain as she moved him, and his hand always stayed over the wound. Tears threatened to fall, but I couldn't show weakness. If I cried now, it would show Eugene that I had no faith in ever getting out of here, and I wanted him to have at least some faith for himself. He was going to go and live, for the both of us. He had to do that for me.

"In case you get any ideas about following us," Gothel said to no one in particular as she let Flynn's shackled hand fall to the ground. She then let me free of my chains, and I ran as fast as my legs would carry me across the tower to kneel next to Eugene, who was gasping and shuddering in pain.

"Eugene!" I cried, as I put my hands to his cheeks and brushed some hair from his eyes. He was coughing, now, and his breathing was labored. I looked down at his lower abdomen, which his hand was covering, and gently moved his fingers away as he let out a groan of pain. I'm so sorry," I breathed as my hands went to my hair. I felt horrible, knowing that this was my entire fault. In inhaled deeply and grabbed at my hair. "Everything is going to be ok though," I said with confidence. But he was determined, despite being weak from blood loss.

"No, Rapunzel," he pushed my hands and hair away as I made false promises, begging for his trust. His face was contorted with pain as he explained himself. "I can't let you do this," he struggled to push my hands away and my heart jolted. Seeing him in pain made it feel as if the dagger had gone through my own heart. I leaned over him, determined to heal him.

"And I can't let you die," The words were soft, full of more emotion than I knew I was capable of feeling towards one man. My hand gently caressed his cheek as he spoke up once more.

"But if you do this, then you will die," He pressed his skin against my fingers, and I fought back a new wave of tears. The pain was evident in his face. I had to make that horrible, painful expression go away.

"Hey," I said, biting my lower lip as my fingers gently stroked his cheeks. "Everything is going to be alright," I whispered, not even believing myself. How would everything be alright if we weren't together? At least we would both still be alive, and just knowing that we would both be living under the same sky would be enough to get me by. He would move on, go on to live a full life as he was meant to be, and I would be a prisoner to my hair, living a hollow life forever. It was how it had to be. This was how fate wanted our stories to play out, and we were slaves to fate. No one could change their destiny.

I bit back tears and inhaled, ready to start my song of healing. A few tears were trickling down Eugene's cheeks. "Rapunzel, wait…" He gasped out. The words hardly escaped his lips as his fingertips brushed against my flushed cheeks. His fingers were cold but left my skin feeling hot and feverish where they had touched. He pushed my hair back, then, and his other hand came up. I thought he was going to kiss me, and welcomed this idea, closing my eyes and leaning into him. Instead, though, I heard a horrifying noise that sounded like ripping, and then Eugene's hand fell, revealing a shard of mirror he had grabbed from the floor. All at once the truth crashed down. He had cut my hair. Eugene had cut my magical hair that was the only hope of saving his life.

"Eugene, wha-" I gasped, grabbing at my hair, my heart and mind gripped by panic. My eyes widened as I felt the short strands of hair, and the loss of the pounds my hair provided. In my hands the hair grew brown, foot by foot changing from glistening blonde to a smooth brown. Gothel seemed almost as upset as I was. A drawn out 'No!' escaped her lips, and I watched in horror as she aged what seemed like hundreds of years before my very eyes. Her hair turned white, her eyes sunk down in her head, and her skin wrinkled and marred.

"What have you done? What have you DONE?" She screamed at Flynn as she tried to collect up the hair. But it was too late; the deed was done, and all of the magical powers my hair possessed was gone as well. She lunged for us, then, pulling her cape up and around her face, screaming all the while, trying to hide her aged face from the world. She turned and continued back pedaling then, and with a little help from Pascal, managed to trip over the hair, which sent her flying out the window.

Despite hating her, my instincts reminded me that this woman was my mother. As she fell out the window my arms instinctively grabbed for her, my face marred with worry. She was… she was gone. I inhaled deeply and shuddered, looking at the feet of now brown hair in horror.

How was I going to save Eugene? I couldn't let him die, not now that I had finally gained my freedom. I turned back to him then. He was lying limp on the ground. I raised his head and rested it in my lap as he coughed and sputtered, barely alive. Blood pooled around the both of us, staining his shirts and some of my skirt, but I didn't care. I had to save him. I had to. "Look at me, I'm right here! Don't go, stay with me, Eugene!" Tears threatened, and I did the only thing I had ever known when someone was hurt. I pressed his hand to my hair and sang. "Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine," tears were filling my eyes as it seemed as if Eugene's death was imminent. "Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine…" All I wanted was Eugene. I had just lost a mother and the comfort of my hair, I couldn't stand to lose the man I had grown to love over these past few days. It would send me over the edge, and I would die alone in the tower, that much was for sure.

"Rapunzel." Eugene's voice was urgent, and still filled with pain.

"What?" I asked him, the tears threatening to fall as I held his hand to my check, willing my own life to translate into his body. I was desperate for any glimmer of hope I could grasp onto, but none seemed to be appearing.

A small, pained smile creased up Flynn's lips as he managed to push out a few words. "You were my new dream…" Oh, god. He was giving up. He knew he was going to die and he was going to leave me alone in this tower to die. I couldn't do it without him.

"And you were mine," I gasped, my breathing labored as I fought back my tears. I felt the life leave him. His body tensed for a moment, and then with a small gasp, his head went limp. The tears in my eyes weren't going to be contained anymore, and a few trickled down my cheeks as I cradled his head in my hands, inspecting his face. The serenity there, the peace he seemed to have found in the loss of his life, scared me. I was all alone. Completely and utterly alone. I did the only thing that was familiar to me anymore. "Heal what has been hurt, change the fate's design. Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine. What once was mine." Oh, how ironic those words were. Everything I knew was crumbling around me. I would do anything, including give my own life to resurrect this man. It was almost funny how only minutes ago it seemed like such an easy task to change fate, and yet now I was powerless in fate's hands. I was totally and completely alone.

One solitary tear fell onto Eugene's cold cheek then, as I sobbed against him. But suddenly, a glowing came from his chest, and long tendrils of light seemed to blossom forth from the wound, enveloping both of us in a warm, glowing light. The light exploded, then, illuminating the whole room, and I couldn't help but feel a new found hope blossom in my chest thanks to this light. The light absorbed into Flynn's body then, and with it went all traces of blood. My eyes grew wide as I looked at the spot that had just been a gaping wound and was now nothing more than smooth skin. What had happened? My fingers gingerly probed at the spot, and then I turned my attention to Flynn's head, which had just shifted in my lap. Next his breath returned, and finally his eyes fluttered open. "Rapunzel?"

I gasped and uttered the one word that was on my thoughts: "Eugene?"

He looked up at me from his spot on my lap, his face illuminated by the light coming in through the window. A faint smile crossed his lips, then, as he looked at my face. "Did I ever tell you I've got a thing for brunettes?" He mumbled, his voice still weak.

I couldn't help it. Immediately I threw my arms around him, pulling him as close to my body as I could. He smiled and held me close, his arms wrapping around me in the most comforting way possible. My face fit perfectly in the crook of his neck, and I shed the last of my tears as relief came over me like a wave. I felt drained, and I didn't ever want to let go of Eugene. Exhaling I pushed myself up and he sat up on his elbow. I couldn't help but laugh lightly and look at my hands before a strange urge over took me. I wasn't close enough. I needed to be close enough to feel him against me, and know he really was alive and my mind wasn't deceiving me. I grabbed his collar and pulled him in close, pressing a quick kiss against his lips. His arms went around me then, and he pressed back, something that caused me to smile and pull back. Eugene was alive. He was alive and well and we were both going to live together, free of the tyranny of Gothel and my hair. My hair… I Ran my fingers through the short brown locks once more before standing and helping Eugene to his feet. It was as if he had never been stabbed.

"C'mon, let's get out of here," he said as he pulled me close and pressed a quick kiss against the crown of my head. I wrapped my arms around him, inhaling deeply, finally feeling safe, as if that was exactly where I belonged.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: So this chapter was kinda short, more of just a transition into the next chapter, I guess. Once again, I loooove reading reviews, so leave me some of those!

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><p>I'm still to this day not exactly sure why, but I couldn't leave my tower without cleaning everything up. Maybe it was because it was still my home, as much as I hated to admit it, seeing it in disorder bothered me. Maybe it was because when I looked at the mess on the floor and thought about leaving it, it just felt like I was leaving the story unfinished. Eugene thought it ridiculous that I made a point of wiping his blood up off of the floor, placing the knife in a drawer in the kitchen, and sweeping up the broken shards of glass, disposing of them in the waste bin we kept in a corner of the tower. Then I turned back to the many feet of hair, and a troubled look came over my face. What was I to do with the hair? There was so much of it that it almost felt like a waste not to do something with it. I inhaled sharply, standing tall, trying not to show how weak I felt. I was emotionally and physically drained, and all I wanted to do was collapse into my bed, but I trooped on. I set to work braiding the long brown tresses, my fingers loving the familiar feel of the silky smooth hair. Once it was all braided I looped it up, much as one would do with a rope, and placed it inside of one of the empty cabinets beneath the sink. "That should do the trick…" I murmured weakly. Eugene, who had been sitting in the same blue chair I had once tied him to, stood then and came to my side, and we both silently stood and inspected my work.<p>

The tower looked as it always had: clean, bright and cheery. My paintings still covered every inch of the walls, bringing a very homey feel to the tower. Someone obviously lived here. I would miss the paintings and the memories I had made in this very room, and though they were little to nothing compared to the memories most had of their childhood, they were all I had. I felt as if I hadn't really started living until three days ago, when I had made the decision to leave my tower, and in three days I had done a lot of growing up. Part of me wished I could just stay here now, say I was home, complete the journey and call it done. But I knew that I had other matters to attend to. The King and Queen – my father and mother, I couldn't help but think with a sharp tinge of anxiety – needed there daughter back, and I needed the family I had never had. So not going back just seemed plain silly now. I glanced out the window, longingly looking towards the expansion of woods that separated me from my new family.

"They can wait a few days," Eugene put a hand on my shoulder, almost as if he had read my thoughts. "The sun is starting to go down. What do you say we just stay here for the night, and then make the journey in one day?" Both of us were too weak to travel, I could tell, and I was more than relieved when he suggested such a thing. I nodded before turning to face him. He looked good as new, as if he had never been stabbed or chained to the wall. I knew I was a mess: there was still blood on my skirts, I felt grimy and dirty from being dragged across the floor, and my head was starting to throb from the long day I'd had. The idea of one more night in my own bed sounded appealing, so I nodded in agreement with Eugene's idea.

Before long I had a pot of soup going on the stove, and Eugene was sitting at the kitchen table, flipping through one of the few books I'd had through my life. As much as I enjoyed Eugene's company, something felt off with him being here instead of Gothel. As a creature of habit, I wasn't used to a man being in the tower, or around for so much time, in general. Before Eugene, I had never even met a man… That idea was shocking to most, but when you lived your whole life shielded away from the world, well that put a bit more perspective to it. Eugene was sweet, though, and he had a calming sort of affect on me. I didn't feel frightened or worried or trapped when he was around. The tower didn't feel too small, and the outside world wasn't as tempting as it had been before this whole adventure. I could easily go on living like this, I couldn't help but muse as I stirred the soup. The sun had gone down over the horizon in the short span of time, and my stomach was growling hungrily. After a few more stirs, I deemed the meager soup done and grabbed two bowls and spoons and ladled soup into both. I then grabbed the book from Eugene's hands, pushed the soup in front of him and the spoon in his hands and instructed, "Eat." He looked at me with one eyebrow raised. I was too tired to be patient right now, and I hurriedly sat and ate my soup in silence. My mind was completely blank, and I could feel Eugene's eyes on me as we both ate.

"Rapunzel…?" His voice was soft, and I jumped a bit as his hand reached out to take my free hand. At his touch every hair stood on end, and my heart picked up its pace again. I could feel the blood rushing beneath my skin, and I vaguely remember wondering why Eugene had this affect on me.

All of the sudden, everything that had happened that day hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt like I had been punched in the stomach, and I gasped for breath as the tears slowly slid down my cheeks, staining the table cloth. Eugene, taken aback by this sudden mood swing, pulled me close, holding me tight against his chest. The embrace took me by surprise. Up until today, the way Eugene touched me, and how often it happened, had been limited. I could count on one hand the number of embraces we had shared. There was the dance earlier this very day, but there had been plenty of space between our bodies, and it hadn't lasted longer than a few seconds. And then there was earlier, when I had practically thrown myself on him out of sheer happiness. The only time I had ever actually been held was when Gothel hugged me close, maybe because of a bad dream or my being upset over breaking a pot or something like that. Even then the embraces had been infrequent and devoid of emotion. This embrace was so much more than that. As I cried on Eugene's shoulder, he stroked my hair, quietly shushing me and whispering in my ear that everything would be all right. I believed him. I believed everything he told me, and my heart raced as I realized that this was the first time anyone had actually cared enough to hold me close and reassure me. This just made more tears come, and I gasped for breath as my emotions conflicted inside of me. It was all so new and different, and I didn't know how to organize my sentiments.

After a minute or so of just kneeling on the floor in our embrace (we'd sunk off of our chairs, something I hadn't realized), I pushed away from Eugene, and he gently wiped the tears from my eyes with his thumb. I inhaled deeply and straightened up. My chest felt ready to burst with emotion. Part of me wanted to flee this horrible place, and make all of the monsters go away. Another part of me just wanted to stay and feel at home again, though most of me knew that I could never feel truly at home here. And then there was that emotion that was making my heart race, causing my blood to rush and my cheeks to flush at the thought of being so close to the man who had saved my life. What was the best word for that emotion? I knew most emotions, from happy to sad to jealous to frustrated, but I knew nothing of love or lust or fondness for another person. I sniffled, then, and smiled shyly at Eugene. "I'm sorry, I just…"

He gave me an understanding smile and took my face in his hands. "It's understandable. You've had a long day and should probably get some sleep," he said, his eyes kind as he brushed some hair from my face. I leaned back on my feet and nodded, and he slowly stood, then pulled me up as well. I leaned against him, still feeling extremely weak as we started up the small flight of stairs and towards my bedroom. I sighed as I flopped backwards into my bed, looking up at the painted ceiling, wishing that I didn't feel so overwhelmed right now. Finally I sat up on my elbows and looked at Eugene curiously. He was hovering in the doorway, looking unsure as to if he could come in or not. I needed to change into my nightgown, but that could wait.

"There are sheets and pillows in the linen closet beneath the stairs," I told him, my head tilted to the side. "Or you can sleep in… in the bedroom next door," I said softly, not wanting to talk about Gothel. He frowned before answering.

"I don't think I'm going to sleep tonight," he told me with a small smile. "I'll just read one of your books, if you don't mind." I nodded and bit my lip. Would I be able to sleep tonight? I'd probably have nightmares all night, but at least Eugene would be there to comfort me if I woke up screaming. Part of me wanted to tell him to stay in here with me and to come hold me like he had a moment ago, but I felt odd asking, so instead I just remained silent.

"Well… goodnight, I guess…" I murmured softly, a small frown on my face. Eugene smiled at me then.

"Goodnight," he said. Without another word he had gone out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him. I felt flushed and flustered, and hurriedly changed out of my gown and into my night dress, then stepped over to my mirror and looked at my hair for the first time since I got the new do. My breath caught in my throat and one hand gingerly reached up to touch the brown locks. I couldn't stop the overwhelming sadness that swept over me, and a few tears slowly trickled down my cheeks. I had loved my hair. It was the only thing I ever had felt I had going for me, and now it was gone. I was plain and average and… nothing. I was a nobody; just a lonely girl who knew nothing in the world, stuck in a world far too large. I hurriedly crawled into my bed and cuddled one of my extra pillows close. I fell asleep crying that night, and I should have known from that it wasn't going to be a good night.

The dream that followed my tears was easily the worst I'd ever had. We were in the tower and Eugene had finally just climbed up into the tower. Gothel stabbed him, and I screamed, but nothing came out. I watched in horror as he fell over, obviously dead, and I was dragged down, forever, into the gaping earth, which had opened for me and Gothel to ascend into.

I woke up covered in a cold sweat, screaming and thrashing. Eugene was at my side only seconds later, his face distorted in panic, a dripping cloth in one hand, and a glass of water in the other. He sighed in relief when he realized I was awake, which lead me to believe I had been screaming for quite some time now. "Eugene," I breathed as I untangled myself from the sheets. My chest was still heaving, and the fear was still there, though it was slowly ebbing. Eugene sat on the edge of the bed next to me and handed me the glass of water. My throat was sore and parched from screaming, and I thankfully gulped the water down. While I was drinking he gently dabbed at my forehead and cheeks with the cool cloth, and then moved down to my neck, still dabbing gently, removing all traces of sweat. I finished off the glass of water and handed it back to him before leaning back against the backboard of my bed and inhaling deeply. Eugene looked at me with sympathetic eyes.

"You started screaming and… I…" he stopped and cleared his throat, his eyes avoiding mine. I took his hand and he pulled me in for another tight embrace. "I thought Gothel had come back and was trying to steal you away," He admitted. He whispered it quietly in my ear, and I shivered as his warm breath ruffled my hair. My heart was racing again, but not out of fear from my dream; this was a different kind of racing. I was sure it was caused when Eugene's body got this close to mine, because I noticed it only happened when he was close to me, or when he just touched me, or even just looked at me. Maybe it was just Eugene in general that did this to me. This feeling was strange and new, but I found I liked it much more than some of the other feelings I'd experienced before. I held onto Eugene, wrapping my arms around his neck and burying my face in between his shoulder and neck, willing him to hold me tighter; the tighter he squeezed, the better I felt. It was as if he could make all of my fears disappear just by being close to me. I knew that he would take care of me, and do anything to protect me, and that was comforting.

I exhaled and inhaled deeply, finally feeling much better. It was only then that I realized the sun was slowly crawling up over the horizon. "Should we go now?" I asked him softly as I lifted my head from its place on his shoulder. Eugene sighed and looked out of the window in my room, then looked back to me.

"We can leave whenever you are ready to, Blondie," he told me. The familiar nickname made me feel a bit more at home, and I smiled softly as a small laugh escaped my lips. He was obviously trying to make me feel better, and it was working. Somehow, Eugene just knew how to brighten my spirits. I pushed back the covers of the bed and slid out, shivering as my bare feet hit the cold flagstones that made up the floor. I folded my arms over my chest and pointedly looked at the door then to Eugene.

"Would you mind? I need to change…" I told him with a small, innocent smile. My nightgown was cotton and cut off at the knee, and I could feel Eugene's eyes on me. They averted to my face when I spoke to him, though, and a small blush colored my cheeks as he nodded and stepped outside, pulling the door closed behind him. I let out all of my breath and started humming to myself as I rummaged through my closet. First came the petticoats, over which I laced up my corset. Next was the gown itself, this one the same as the last. I always made more than one of the same dresses, mostly because I would always have extra fabric, and if I didn't use it mother would fuss over how much she paid for the material only for me to waste it all. After lacing up the front of my dress, I sighed and smoothed out my skirts with one hand, and the other worked through my hair. I chewed on my lower lip as I gingerly picked up the hairbrush that my mother so often used to brush my long golden locks and ran it through my new hair, smoothing out the choppy layers and trying to get used to the new look. But it would take forever for me to get used to it. I sighed once again as I grabbed a small ruck sack from my closet, and hurriedly filled it with clothes as well as my hairbrush and a few small trinkets from in my room. First was the only pieces of jewelry I owned, which consisted of a small silver ring, a silver locket, and a bracelet that was braided leather. Next went my three books, and finally the small journal I had occasionally written in, and mostly doodled in. That was all I had. I slumped back onto my bed after fixing the sheets for the last time. My whole life was getting flipped upside down, and there was nothing I could do about it. I felt like crying again, but I held the tears back, finally standing after a few minutes of sitting, and headed out into the main room once more.

Like me, Eugene had been busy packing things for our journey including a small amount of food and water, as well as a few blankets and candles. As I entered the room he stood from where he'd been squatting, inspecting the contents in my paint box. "I wish I could take them with me, but we've got to travel light," I told him with a small shrug of my shoulders as I started down the stairs, my hand trailing down the smooth railing as I stopped at the foot of the stairs. I wished I could pack up all of the walls and take my paintings with me, but I knew that wasn't possible. A small sigh escaped my lips as I looked around one more time. I would miss this place, I really would. Sure, life would be excellent outside of this tower, and I was more excited than ever to leave and start a new life. But this tower… it was part of me. I'd lived here for the past eighteen years, and leaving it for a second time seemed almost as hard as the first time.

I jumped a bit as Eugene put a hand on my shoulder. I had been absorbed in my own little world, something that happened all too often when I was around Eugene. My smile wavered as he pulled me into a close, tight hug, and once again I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, and the blood rushing at incredible speeds through my veins. Did he feel the same way when he touched me, or was it just because it was all so new? I inhaled sharply, once again burying my face into the niche between Eugene's shoulder and his neck. It was so comforting, the way his strong arms seemed to hold me up, how I could feel his slow breathing, in and out and in and out… even his scent, very earthy, comforted me. My fingers clutched at his shirt, a soft material, and one of his hands comfortingly rubbed up and down my back. Just this embrace was enough for me. I felt Eugene's body tense then, and he gently removed my arms from around him and looked me in the eyes. "Are you going to be ok?" He asked me, his voice hushed as if we were in a place that had a sacred meaning. I nodded, wide-eyed and still a bit sleepy, but ready to leave none the less. The longer we stood here, the more paranoid I got. Maybe Gothel would be back to come get me, or maybe I would finally wake up from what I had been suspecting was a dream these past few days. Eugene kissed my temple, then, and smiled tenderly at me. "It's going to be fine," he added, his fingers intertwining through mine as he started towards the small trap door. Pascal, who had been sleeping on my bed still as I had packed, had meandered his way out from my bedroom and was waiting next to the trap door. I scooped him up, placing a gentle kiss on the top of his head, and then set him on my shoulder as we started our descent.

The sunlight was bright as we left the tower, and the meadow looked as beautiful as ever. I couldn't help but smile as I squished my toes in the grass, once again remembering how amazing the feeling was of the grass between my toes. Eugene was still holding my hand, and he pulled me along as I tried to stop and look into the stream. "C'mon, Princess," he said, a goofy grin on his face. "We want to get you back home safe and sound," he informed me. This was true. I was eager to get back to the main city and meet my new family, though my nerves were starting to build in my stomach. The sun was still low in the sky, indicating it was early morning, and I estimated that if we made optimum time and kept up a decent speed, we would arrive back in Corona a little bit after midday.

We emerged on the other side of the ivy-covered cave and I inhaled deeply. Once again my emotions were conflicting. I was feeling happy, excited, and saddened and nervous. "What if they don't like me?" I asked Eugene, panic filling my voice. The worst-case scenarios started running through my head, and I grabbed at Eugene's arm as we started in the right direction. "What if they don't recognize me and turn me away?" I said breathlessly, still worrying. Eugene just smiled and shook his head at my craziness.

"Everything will be fine," He reassured me as we trudged on. We had quite the journey ahead of us, and both of us were anxious to get back to the city and start a new life.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: OH YEAH! Finally another chapter for this fic! And FINALLY things pick up! OK this chapter was sorta to fill in the cracks, introduce some new plot lines and a new character (Yes, you will see more of sweet, innocent Marietta!) and... yeah! I hope you guys enjoy it! Read and review, lovelies!

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><p>With every step I took in the opposite direction, I felt my fear and pain ebbing away as excitement and anxiety took over. The sky was a perfect, clear blue and there wasn't a cloud in sight, and it was still late spring, so everything was in bloom. The trees and flowers and small animals that scurried past entertained me for a while, but once they had lost their appeal and I was back in my own thoughts again, the nervousness began to creep its way back into my mind. Every few minutes a new question would spring into my mind, and I would panic and immediately ask Eugene what he thought. The most recent one had been, "Does this dress make me look to childish? Do you think they will think I am too immature because my dress isn't the right style?" He had laughed at this question, because it was one of my more ridiculous ones, and I frowned at him, not enjoying him getting amusement out of my unease. "Eugene, please! I'm so worried, and your laughing doesn't help anything!"<p>

Eugene smiled at me, then, stopping for a moment as we entered a small clearing. "Rapunzel, you have nothing to worry about," he told me as his hand gently caressed my cheek. I bit my lip and looked down at my feet, but he tilted my chin back up so I was looking him in the eyes. "No, really. You are a smart, beautiful young woman and your parents will be so happy to have you back," he told me, his hazel eyes meeting my green ones with seriousness I had never seen before. I nodded in response, and he let his hand fall from my chin and then to my hand, and intertwined our fingers once more. "C'mon, we're almost to our first stop," he informed me with a charming smile. Our first stop? Confused, I lengthened my stride to keep up with him.

"Why are we stopping?" I asked, my voice a bit higher from nervousness. He grinned lopsidedly at me as we entered yet another clearing, this one with a small path and a sign, one that I recognized. I squeaked, then, and my nerves immediately dissipated. I knew only vaguely about how Eugene had managed to escape the castle yesterday (He'd told me ambiguous details earlier that morning) and I was excited to hear the story from the guys at the Snuggly Duckling. A small skip entered my step as we approached the door, and Eugene pulled open the rather heavy oaken thing before I could even get my hand around the handle. As I stepped inside, a loud rumble of cheers came from quite a few tables around, and the wide smile that erupted on my lips upon seeing my friends was mirrored on Eugene's face, as well as most of the pub thugs' faces, too. Quite a few of the men called out to me, telling me about their recent endeavors, but Eugene and I made our way over to a small booth where Hookhand was sitting with Bignose. Both were smiling widely, and as Eugene and I sat, Hookhand clapped the young man on the back and Bignose kissed my hand in an almost comical manner. I grinned widely as one of the other thugs, Attila, I noticed, asked if he could get us anything. Eugene insisted on a pint of whatever they had on hand, while I just asked for some water, because I was actually rather parched from how much I'd been chattering (it calmed my nerves) and it had been rather hot outside.

"So I see you managed to rescue her, Rider," Hookhand grumbled. His voice was always intimidating; you just had to know that there was a good man beneath his tough outer shell. I smiled widely at Eugene and he returned the smile, then nodded at Hookhand.

"You doubted I couldn't do it?" He arched an eyebrow and took a sip of the amber liquid Attila had placed in front of him. I thanked the man and sipped at my water, smiling slightly as Hookhand laughed and nodded. "We're on our way back to the palace, and thought it would be good to take a break from walking," Eugene informed the men as he put his glass down and folded his hands. "And I thought you could tell the lady about how you rescued me," Eugene told them, smiling crookedly. Bignose nodded and smiled widely.

"It was quite the rescue, I think," He said as he scratched his nose. Some of the men cheered in agreement and Hookhand started off the story. He told me of how they rescued Eugene because the horse had come to warn them what was happening, and of how they had taken out all of the castle guards, then managed to get Eugene safely to me. I oohed and awed at all the right places, clapping here and there, enjoying the tale immensely. My mother had always told me I was the perfect audience because I was so full of excitement, something that was usually rather true. Their tale had swept me up and when they finished, I couldn't help but beam widely at the two thugs.

"You all were so brave! I appreciate the help more than I can express," I informed them. My words were sincere; without their help, I would still have been in Gothel's tower, and Eugene would be hanging from the stocks in the kingdom. I placed a kiss on Bignose's cheek and took another sip of my water. Pascal crawled from my shoulder down my arm, and curled up on the table. I absently stroked the top of his head, sipping at my water once more. It was nice to sit after walking for most of the morning, and I was thankful for Eugene's idea to stop. We stayed to chat with the pub thugs a bit longer, but soon we had to depart, for the sun was high in the sky and I was anxious to get back to the palace. Everyone said their goodbyes quickly, and after one more cheer from most of the room, Eugene, Pascal and I headed back outside into the fresh air.

I inhaled deeply, smiling widely. "Thank you for talking me there, Eugene. It was nice to see them," I told him as I hugged him tightly. He responded to my hug by picking me up off of my feet and spinning me for a moment, causing me to hold onto him a bit tighter and giggle, my head buried in the space between his neck and shoulder. When he put me down my head still spun, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was from the motion or from Eugene's scent and the feel of his soft skin against my cheek. We continued walking, then, and came to the subject of court etiquette, something neither of us knew very much about. But Eugene did his best to teach me as we walked after I told him I was afraid of making a fool of myself in front of my parents.

"You always curtsy to people of the same or higher status as yourself," he explained as we climbed over a particularly rocky part of the trail we were following. Eugene stopped on a flat spot to demonstrate. He kicked his right foot behind his left, bent his knees, and bowed his top half. I giggled at how silly it looked, and as he straightened up, I tried it. I took my skirts in my fingers and spread them, as Eugene had mimicked, bent my knees, and put one foot behind the other. I bowed the upper half of my body then, and ducked my head as Eugene had showed me, giggling slightly as I wobbled. I found that it was hard to hold my balance, though by not breathing and focusing my eyes on my feet I found it was a bit easier to balance. He smirked slightly and crossed his arms over his chest. "Not too bad, Princess," He said. The word sounded odd coming from him, and I didn't like it. I furrowed my brow and frowned, and he inquired quickly about my expression.

"I don't like you calling me Princess," I told him honestly as I pushed some brown hair from my face. He smiled gently and took my hand as we continued on walking. We were getting close to the palace, I knew, and I could feel my nervousness coming back. It was comforting, though, to have Eugene's fingers intertwined with mine. His touch was comforting, and consoled the nervous flip flopping of my stomach.

His brow wrinkled as he looked over at me, obviously confused. "Why is that?" He inquired, his voice holding much curiousity.

I wrinkled my nose in return, and took a deep breath as we stepped out of the woods and onto a dirt road. In the distance I could see the climbing spires of the castle, pale white against the perfect blue sky. I stopped in my tracks then, my mind occupied, but Eugene knew he needed to distract me, and egged on my reply. "It just doesn't seem right," I told him softly, my green eyes wide as I looked upon the city that I would now be living in. His hand tugged at mine as he continued walking, and I hesitantly took a step in the right direction, then two backwards. My shoulders caved in, and I wrapped my arms around my torso. I felt like I couldn't breath. The city was so big and overwhelming, and I was so small and this was all so different…

"Shhhh, Rapunzel, it will all be all right," Eugene took me into his arms once more, cradling me against his chest, his fingers stroking my hair comfortingly. Fat tears poured from my eyes, and I willed them away though it was no use. I was scared and nervous, and I didn't know what to expect. But the overwhelming feeling that had caused my chest to restrict upon seeing the kingdom was so unexpected it had winded me. I breathed deeply, clawing at Eugene's shirt, holding him as close to me as I could, wanting to remember that I wasn't alone right now. I buried my face in his chest once more, and as the last few tears rolled down my cheeks I breathed deeply. "We're going to be fine, you and me both. We'll go meet your parents, and they will be so happy to see you again," He whispered softly in my ear. The panic was ebbing, and instead all of my limbs felt warm. My blood rushed and my heart thudded in my chest, and I wasn't sure any more if it was from nervousness or how close Eugene was. I pushed away, then, inhaled as deeply as I could, and started forward. I squared up my shoulders and held my head high, and I looked back expectantly at Eugene.

"Are you coming?" I teased slightly. I used all of that nervousness and turned it into a will to finish this adventure. I just needed to get it done and over with, it was that simple. I knew that as soon as my parents saw me and realized that I was their daughter, everything would be perfect. It had to be. That was the happy ending that I felt I deserved after not knowing the truth for so long. Eugene caught up to me, then, taking my hand once more, and I smiled towards him, though it wavered with nervousness. We crossed the bridge in silence, my eyes wide as I looked up at the castle. Two days ago, it hadn't seemed this daunting. The streets weren't nearly as crowded as they'd been before, and people watched as Eugene and I wove through the streets, silently making out way towards the palace. It grew bigger and bigger as we approached, and I felt smaller and smaller with every step. Finally, after what seemed like ages of silence, we reached the front door. A line of guards looked at us with curiosity in their eyes, and after placing a very gentle kiss on my cheek, Eugene backed up as one of the guards approached and took me in warily.

"Can I help you?" He asked in a skeptical voice.

I cleared my throat and clutched my hands together. "I… yes, I need to speak with the king and queen," I said meekly. My mouth was dry and I could feel my hands shaking. I inhaled and straightened up a bit, hoping I didn't seem as lost as I felt. As if accustomed to hearing this, the man waved a hand at me.

"If you don't have an appointment you will have to sign the list and wait until tomorrow, miss," he said dismissively. He was turning to leave when I caught his elbow.

"Please, if you wouldn't mind, this is important and… I can't wait until tomorrow," I told him, feeling a bit annoyed that they would expect me to make an appointment. The guard rolled his eyes and turned back to me.

"What is so important that it can't wait?" He asked, his eyes looking down at my hand still at his elbow.

I straightened up and inhaled deeply, expanding my chest and holding my head high. "I'm the lost princess," I said confidently. The guard's eyes zoomed up to my face, then, and he inspected what he saw there. He mustn't have looked closely until then, for his expression dropped and he backed up. He must have seen truth in my eyes or my face, for before anything else could be said he bowed deeply to me. "Yes, of course, I will alert the king and queen at once," he said. He gestured for another guard to escort us, and he did, leading us back to a balcony out of sight of the city. We took a few different ramps to get there, and I gasped at the view that met my eyes. Before Eugene could stop me, I had rushed over to the railing of the balcony, drawn in by the crystal blue sea, the way the mountains framed the sky, and all of the other colors that were apparent in the forests beyond the city. The sea breeze caressed my cheeks, making me feel less worried and flustered, though a ball of anxiety was still winding up in my stomach. Eugene came to my side, then, and slid his hand into mine. I looked up at him, nervousness in my eyes, and he squeezed my hand.

"Everything will be fine," he reassured me with a wink. We stood there in silence, waiting, but we weren't waiting for long. I heard the doors open only seconds later, and both Eugene and I turned. I couldn't help the way I stared, my eyes soaking up every feature on the Queen's face, from her perfect nose to her round cheeks and red lips… she looked very similar to me. I stepped forward and she did the same, our eyes never leaving each other. Looking into her green eyes I knew I was safe and that I was home. It just seemed to click, and I knew that everything was right. Tears welled in my eyes as she reached out, her fingers gingerly touching my face, almost questioning if I was really standing right there in front of her. And then she smiled, a soft smile of recognition, and one that I mirrored only seconds later. Before I knew what was going on I had been engulfed in the tightest hug I'd ever received. I breathed deeply as a few tears escaped, rolling down my cheek and staining the queen's satin dress, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that I was _home_. I had finally found the place where I belonged. My eyes looked up then, and I looked at my father, who seemed to be crying as well. A smile curved up his aged face then, and he joined the embrace. Happiness swelled in my chest and as I sat there, my eyes shut against the world, I couldn't help but wonder why I'd felt nervous before.

As a third set over arms wrapped around me, I smiled and looked up at Eugene. A few laughs escaped my lips as my father finally stood, pulling the queen up with him. Eugene helped me up off of the ground (I'd been too immersed in my new emotions to notice us sinking to the floor) and I turned back to my mother, who was wiping tears from her eyes. "It's really you…" She said softly, her eyes still full of emotion. The king put an arm around her frail shoulders, and I smiled helplessly. "Oh, Fleur, we never thought you would make it back!" The queen said softly, her voice laden with happiness. She had her hands clasped at her chest and I gave her a confused look, then.

Had she called me Fleur? I furrowed my brow and ran my fingers through my hair. "I'm Rapunzel…" I told her softly, confusion evident in my voice. Fleur… it meant flower in French. I'd read that in my botany book long ago. Sometimes Mother Gothel had called me that, too. She said I was her flower, but I'd never thought much of it. I chewed nervously on my lower lip as I watched the realization set in my mother's eyes. She beckoned towards one of the guards, and my father gave him a set of instructions quietly.

"Yes, right, that's right. Rapunzel…" She said my name almost as if testing it out to see if it fit. Her eyes looked me up and down and then turned to Eugene. "And you must be the young man who saved my daughter," she said in a kind, understanding tone. I smiled softly and watched Eugene squirm under her piercing gaze.

"It really wasn't like that, your majesty," He commented as he scratched the back of his neck. The queen raised one eyebrow and smiled.

"I know who you are, Mr. Rider," she informed him as she propped her hands on her hips. I couldn't help but giggle, which I hid behind my hand. I knew Eugene could be in a lot of trouble right now, but I wouldn't let my new mother and father hurt him. "Of course, you must want a reward for returning the princess to us?" The queen asked, her voice curious as she inspected Flynn's face. His eyebrows arched in shock and he shook his head.

"No! No, no. It's nothing like that, actually…" He said a bit awkwardly. My father had turned back to us, then, and had put a hand on my shoulder.

"Come, my dear. We'll get you settled in," he said as he pulled me in for another hug. I pushed back, looking over at Eugene once more.

"I- But…" I turned back towards Eugene, for by now my father was steering me towards the palace.

"He'll be fine, don't worry," my father informed me in a comforting voice. I chewed my lip but decided to trust him. Why would he lie to me about something like that anyways? I nervously clutched my hands in front of me and followed my father into the palace. The doors shut behind us, and it took my eyes a few moments to adjust before I could see the very ornate throne room in which we were standing. "I don't think words can express how glad we are to have you back, Rapunzel," my father said quietly. My eyes shifted around the room, looking at all of the guards who were standing around looking at me. They all had the same wide-eyed, shocked expressions on their faces, and I knew that already word had spread through Corona that the long lost princess was back.

Me.. .a Princess. It was still sinking in. I still felt as small as I had that first day I'd left my tower and seen the city, and I still felt just as excited and lost. The king led me through some hallways, turning every now and again. We walked in silence, and I could feel his eyes on me. Finally we stopped in front of two tall, white doors that were accented in gold, and I looked up at them in awe. Everything here was so clean and shiny and… perfect. It was nothing like my tower back home. Was a house supposed to be this big? I wasn't used to it. As the king pushed open the doors, I peeped in, gasping as I did so. The room was full of color, something that took my by surprise. The king pushed the door open a bit wider and gestured for me to enter. I stepped gingerly, noting that the walls were a creamy white stone. I felt like my feet my get the floor dirty, though the king – my father – seemed to not worry about it in the least and took my hand, leading me to the center of the room. The walls were a light pink color with a golden trim, and I couldn't help but admire the way the paint was flawlessly smooth. It would make the perfect canvas in the future.

"This will be your room, dear," the king informed me gently. I gaped at him then, looking from him to the large windows across the room, then back to the grand bed that was next to us. The comforter was floral, and the bed had tall posts from which a canopy hung. Mine? This was… this was mine. I wasn't used to having such grand things belong to me, and I looked up at him, worry etched on my face.

"I can't live in a place this… huge!" I gestured with my arms and the King chuckled softly.

"It's all yours. It won't seem so big soon enough," He told her as he pushed me towards the closet. "Feel free to look around," He said with a smile in his tone. Though he was less expressive, I could feel his happiness radiating off of him. He was so kind and calm, and his presence made me feel calmer already. I gingerly ran a finger along the dresser and then headed over towards the windows. There was a window seat there, complete with pillows, and on either side of the seat were shelves full of books. My face immediately lifted, and I ran to one of the shelves. My fingers brushed against the spines of the books as I read off titles, and my father's face showed an expression of both shock and pride. "So you enjoy reading?" He asked me as he came to stand beside me. I nodded excitedly.

"I love it! But back in my tower, I only had three books: a cook book, a book on botany, and an astronomy book," I told him as I plucked one of the books from the shelf. It was titled 'human anatomy,' and I flipped through the pages before tossing it onto the window seat. It was first in line to be read. The king chuckled once more, and I turned at the sound of the door opening once more. My eyes immediately snapped towards the Queen, who had just entered, and immediately only one question entered my head. "Where is Eugene?" I could feel the nervousness wash over me and I started for the door, but the Queen caught me before I could leave.

"Dearest, he's just signing a few release papers, pardons and what not." My expression was still nervous and curious, though, and she smiled at me, resting one hand on each of my shoulders. "He's being pardoned for all of his felonies against the kingdom," she told me. I let my breath out in a whoosh and my shoulders relaxed. A smile crept over my lips and I ran my fingers through my hair, and still unaccustomed to having shorter locks, they kept going even when my hair stopped. As a saddened expression came across my face, the queen's face mimicked mine. I hadn't thought about my hair in a long time, and now I turned towards a full length mirror across the room and looked into it. A small sigh escaped my lips as I looked at the plain brown locks, and my mother took my hand and led me towards the bed. She seated herself on the edge of the mattress and patted the spot next to her. I hesitantly sat, still gripping at my hair.

"What happened to you, Rapunzel?" My mother asked. It sounded more like a rhetorical, curious question, but I inhaled deeply, prepared to tell them my story. I figured that they would want to know eventually, and I was prepared to explain everything to them.

I started off as early as I could remember, telling them about how Gothel had scared me into staying in the tower, all the while forcing me to sing to her and sustain her youth with my magical hair. I continued to inform them all about these past three days, telling them everything, from the first time Flynn had entered to my tower, to the last time we had left together only this morning. All the while Pascal sat curled in my lap, watching with wide eyes. As I finished my tale at least an hour later, my mother brushed my hair with her fingers. "So if you sing now, nothing will happen?"

"Not unless I'm crying," I said softly. She nodded, still trying to take everything in. The King smiled at me with understanding in his eyes, and pulled me into a tight hug.

"You're with us now, and you will be safe," He promised me then. I smiled appreciatively at both of them.

"I never would have imagined that I would be here with… with a real family one day," I informed them with a small smile. My mother returned the smile and scooted in closer to me, her fingers stroking Pascal on the head.

"We never thought we'd get you back," she told me sadly, though the happiness was still etched on her face. I nodded slowly, my head hanging. I was glad to be home, but this was all so new and overwhelming. There were so many different thoughts going through my head, so many emotions trying to influence me, that I just wanted to cry. Instead I inhaled deeply and sat up straighter.

"I'm so happy to have found you both," I said softly as I pulled my legs beneath me, a soft smile on my lips as I looked towards the queen. She was standing now, and gesturing for the king to do the same.

"Its about time for supper, don't you think?" She asked me. I was suddenly aware of my grumbling stomach, and I nodded excitedly. "Marietta will be in to help you clean up, and also to help you find your way to the dining room. We'll see you there in a half hour?" My mother said as she pressed a kiss to my forehead. I nodded and looked at the young girl entered the room. She couldn't have been much older than me, and she looked at me with awe in her eyes. My mother and father left, then, and Marietta immediately headed over towards the dresser. She pulled the doors open and peered inside, which caused her to pucker her lips. There weren't too many garments within, and she hurriedly muttered to herself and pulled things out, laying them on the bed. I usually just wore a slip and dress, and the different layers she was laying out were all very confusing to me.

"Miss?" She asked. I realized she'd been talking to me.

"Hmmm?" I asked. She had a thick accent and smiled kindly at me.

"'Ere, let me 'elp you with these things," She offered. She had big blue eyes and curly blond hair, and I couldn't help but be envious of her golden locks, even if they were pinned back beneath a white starched cap. She started unlacing the top of my dress, and the top half was off soon enough. I slid out of the dress then, feeling exposed in nothing but my slip, but Marietta was quick to slide on the bottom layer of fluffy things.

"What are these?" I asked as I spun around. The fabric flowed out and I clapped in excitement.

Marietta laughed kindly at my excitement. "They're called petticoats, miss," she said as she held up the next part of the outfit. "And this is a corset," she told me. I nodded and looked at her with a thankful expression. She instructed for me to hold my arms out to the side and I did so as she wrapped the corset around then laced it up. She then had me stand straight upright, and tugged at the laces. I gasped and grabbed my sides, causing Marietta to smile softly. "All beauty comes with some pain," she told me with a shrug. I frowned and looked at my appearance in the mirror.

"I don't… understand…" I told her as I ran my fingers down the front of the corset. She sighed and shook her head.

"Neither do I, but this is the style, so this is what we wear," she told me. I nodded and ruffled my brown hair, still frowning. I would have given anything for my golden hair back. "Miss?" Marietta was holding up a gown for me, and I stepped into it. She did the buttons in the back and I turned to inspect my reflection once more and chewed on my lip. The gown was gorgeous, made from a flawless silk, and was a bright, sunny yellow color. Silver flowers were embroidered into the bodice, and it laced up in the back. The skirts were smooth and gracefully flowed out from my hips, and I spun around once, an enormous smile on my face. "Ah, miss, you quite look the part," she commented. I noticed a hint of… longing, was it? In her eyes, and turned to her.

"You can call me Rapunzel," I told her with a small smile. She looked startled then, and shook her head.

"Of course not, m'lady. It's not proper," she told me. I sighed and remembered what Eugene had told me about etiquette earlier and nodded as she took something from the dresser. It was the crown. Marietta handed it to me, and I placed it on top of my muss of brown hair, once again inspecting my appearance.

The tears started to well, then, and I inhaled deeply, willing them away. This was all so new and fantastic… and I felt almost lost. But I knew where I was, and I knew I was safe, and that was what mattered. "Would ye like to go to dinner now?" Marietta inquired softly. I nodded, sweeping the tears from my eyes, and she led the way out of the room, down a spiral flight of stairs, and towards to large, oaken doors. She nodded towards them and winked at me before squeezing my hand and disappearing. I squared off my shoulders then, and entered the dining room. My mother and father stood, as did another young man who was in the room. I looked over at him and did a double take.

"Eugene?" I giggled softly as he bowed. He'd been outfitted differently as well, and looked rather dashing in his black embroidered vest and fitted cream breeches. His expression mirrored mine for a moment before he dipped down to bow, much as each guard I passed did. One man went to pull my seat out for me, but before he could, Eugene was at my side doing the job instead. I giggled once more and sat, and he seated himself beside me as the King and Queen seated themselves across from us. My mother couldn't stop smiling, and every time my father looked at me he glowed with pride and joy. After a few greetings were exchanged, I turned towards Eugene.

"Where have you been?" I asked him breathlessly. His hand had come to rest on my thigh beneath the table and was causing my heart to flutter just from his touch. He smiled at the King, who nodded, and looked back at me.

"Just taking care of some loose ends," he said with a shrug as he took a bite of the soup that had been placed in front of us. I mimicked his actions, sipping daintily at the rich soup. It was much better than anything I'd ever eaten back in my tower, and I immediately dug in, watching him as a smirk crossed his features. "I've been enlisted to do some, err, community service of sorts," he said, his eyes once more flicking up to meet the king's. A confused expression crossed my face, but before I could ask he informed me. "I'm going to be joining the royal guard. I start training next week, as soon as the festivities are done." He beamed almost proudly, and my face brightened up.

"Oh, Eugene! How excellent! Now you can stay here with me in the palace and you won't be a wanted thief anymore!" I clapped my hands and my mother couldn't help but laugh at my excitement. I turned towards my father then, as curiosity got the best of me. "Festivities?" I asked, one eyebrow arching as I met his gaze.

The king nodded and took a bite of soup. "Of course," he said, smiling all the while. "Everyone in Corona wants to meet the new princess."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Short chapter, sorry! Next'll be longer, for sure. 3 Just a bit of cute Eugene/Rapunzel fluff? Yaay. Leave a review if you read, please!

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><p>"I just don't understand, Marietta!" I let out a frustrated sigh as I looked sadly down at the needlework lying in front of me. My etiquette teacher said I was to practice every day and night before I went to sleep. Her instructions had been vague and unhelpful at best, and the fact that I couldn't wrap my mind around this cross-stitching idea was starting to upset me.<p>

"Calm down, Princess," Marietta handed me the round wooden drum, over which the fabric was pulled, and sat down next to me on my bed. I knew how to sew, I was actually pretty handy with a needle. But I could not see the point of these tiny stitches that crossed over one another, following a specific pattern, just to make… a picture? I sighed in frustration and looked down at the mess of string in front of me. I wasn't going to give up, but I did feel as if I had every right to be annoyed with my clumsy fingers and the tiny needle. Marietta chuckled next to me and I pouted a bit. "Why don't we put this aside for now, Majesty?" Marietta asked with a small, understanding smile. I nodded and stood, placing the fabric down on my bedside table. It was only three days after my return to the palace, and already I had been thrown into my studies. Today, though, was to be different.

All day yesterday I had stood at dress fittings, being pricked here, pulled there, tightened all over, and earlier this afternoon about a dozen dresses had been delivered. The seamstress had beamed at my excitement over the new gowns, and I had run my fingers over the soft material oohing and aahing at the embroidery, and just showing my usual excitement. The seamstress said I flattered her with my amazing acting skills, but what she didn't understand was that I was actually that excited for my new gowns. I'd only ever owned a few different dresses in my life, and the rich colors and materials of these new garments genuinely sent me into an excited tizzy.

As Marietta went over to my closet I cocked my head to the side and looked at her curiously. A new dress for dinner? My gaze seemed to ask. She laughed lightly as she rummaged through the layers of lace and silk and satin, finally pulling out a gown. It was much more exquisite than any I'd ever worn to dinner, and my face showed my confusion, for Marietta addressed the issue. "Tonight is the big banquet to welcome you back, Princess," she told me. I blinked twice and bit my lip, causing Marietta to laugh gently. She came to my side then, and started unlacing the back of the pale green gown I was wearing, and I stepped out of the dress at the appropriate time.

"Why do I always have to change?" I asked, genuinely curious. Marietta was adding another layer of petticoats to the ones I already had on, and then turned to tightening my corset up a bit. I flinched, gasping sharply as she pulled against my ribs. That was the worst part of getting ready in the morning, or at any time really. I sighed as she came to face the front of me.

"You have to look appropriate for every occasion, Princess," she told me, as if this was common knowledge. In all fairness, it probably was for anyone else who wasn't me. I nodded silently, watching her fingers smooth out the skirt of the gown. She then went around to my back again, and started to button up the long row of pearl buttons that held the dress on. I smoothed the pristine skirts with my own fingers, fretting with the silk, smiling to myself. I was more than excited for this so called banquet. My mother said that there would be lots of food and singing and dancing, and many people who would come from far and wide to meet me. And Eugene would be there, I couldn't help but think in excitement. I hadn't seen him all day, he'd been busy with his training and etiquette lessons of his own, and I had been in lessons as well. I impatiently switched my weight from one hip to the other and sighed, causing Marietta to giggle. "Stop fidgeting, you're almost ready!" She warned me. Almost immediately after, there was a knock on the door. I squeaked in excitement and rushed to allow whomever it was entry to the room, and every fiber of my being hoped and prayed it was Eugene.

Another squeak escaped my lips as I pounced on Eugene, catching him totally unaware as I threw my arms around him. It was so nice to see him. I was surrounded by unfamiliar, new things, and to see someone who I was familiar with was the most comforting thing to happen all day. I squealed for the third time as Eugene swept me up in his arms and carried me back into the room, setting me back down in front of Marietta once more, a small grin on his lips. "I'm not here to distract you, just escort you when the time comes," He told me, laughter in his voice. I nodded and bit my lip as Marietta giggled once more. She got back to work, this time fussing with my hair. It was still entirely too short to do much of anything with, but Marietta knew a way to pin it back so it framed my face in a rather attractive manner. She finished quickly, and then turned me towards a mirror.

"Satisfactory?" She asked as she propped one hand on her hip and tucked a stray strand of hair back in its place. I bit my lip as I looked myself up and down, hardly recognizing the girl in the mirror. The gown Marietta had dressed me in was a powder blue in color. The sleeves were a bit puffy and off the shoulder, and the skirts flowed out from my hips, but not in the same manner as a ball gown's skirts would. The lacy petticoats peeped out from the bottom of the dress and were a soft pink color, and some matching pink flowers had been embroidered along the neckline of the dress. I twirled once, watching the way the gown flowed out from my body and clapping happily as I came to a stop, facing Eugene.

"Isn't it beautiful?" I asked in excitement as I took the skirts in my hand and twirled around once more. Eugene laughed and kissed me gently on the forehead before nodding.

"Almost as beautiful as the young woman wearing it," He commented, causing me to blush a light pink color. I twirled around once more, watching as the dress spun out, and tripped, causing me to fall into Eugene's arms. To say I was clumsy was quite an understatement. Marietta offered me a pair of shoes then, the tall kind with exceptionally high heels and the kind that I knew would be obnoxiously uncomfortable. Sighing I slid my feet into them, and Eugene grabbed my arm as I teetered. I'd never worn shoes often, and I had never in my life worn high heels. Chewing on my lip I shook my head.

"I can't walk in these!" I exclaimed as I took the first step forward and nearly fell over. I could see Eugene's smirk that he was trying so hard to hide, and pouted as I grabbed onto the bed post, feeling like a baby bird flying for the first time. Eugene took my hands in his, facing me, and started walking backwards, guiding me. I took one slow, shaky step, then another, then another. I found that if I placed all of my weight on the heel rather than the ball of the foot, it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been originally. I had no idea how I would dance in these, but it would all be worked out eventually. If I fell in the middle of the dance floor, so be it.

"See, not so bad is it?" Eugene asked. I nodded and smiled weakly as he came to stand beside me instead of in front of me, and we walked around the room once more together, making sure I was stable. I bit my lip as Eugene steered me towards the door, and stopped suddenly.

"Wait, wait! Please! Give me one moment…" I begged. My nerves were getting the better of me, and I just needed time to stop and breath. I inhaled deeply, squaring back my shoulders, expanding my ribs against the corset. Holding my head high I nodded then. "Alright, I think I'm ready…" I murmured as I laced my hand through Eugene's. He gave me a swift kiss on the cheek, leaving a small tingling sensation in the pit of my stomach and fire where his lips had met my skin. How did he manage to do that to me?

Without any time to contemplate, we had started walking forward. My room was right outside of the grand hall, and so I could hear the babble of talking people before I could see them. I looked sidelongly at Eugene, and couldn't help the small smile that crept onto my lips. He was dressed in full uniform, from the white gloves on his hands down to the polished black boots, and he looked superb. I felt honored to be escorted in by him, and I was genuinely excited for the night's festivities to begin. With a rather grand smile on my lips I listened as the herald announced us, and we entered to loud cheers and claps. The hall was filled with people of all genders, heights and sizes, and a multitude of colors lay before my eyes. I blinked twice and followed Eugene down the stairs, my smile wavering slightly as I realized just how many people were in the crowd. As we approached people yelled, trying to get my attention here, asking me to look this way, commenting on my gown or how very lucky I was. So many voices called out, so many faces to remember… I panicked, my nails digging into Eugene's skin. My head felt light and I felt a bit dizzy, and I didn't know where to focus my attention. I squeezed out a quick smile and hurriedly dropped into a chair at one end of the long banquet table, and Eugene quickly sat beside me.

I could feel my heart thudding, and my head was still spinning. There were just too many people in this small room. "Is everything ok, Princess?" Eugene asked in a low voice. I rubbed my temples discretely and nodded.

"I was just overwhelmed is all," I told him in a soft voice. He nodded and squeezed my hand under the table as the king and queen were announced and then took their seats as well. I inhaled deeply, my eyes looking around at everyone at the table. There were so many people who I didn't know… and I had a feeling I would be required to meet every one of them. The feeling of being overwhelmed hit me once more, and I leaned back in my chair and let out my breath. It was going to be a long night, I could tell.

After hours of dancing, laughing, and smiles, I was glad when my father put his hand to my back and told me I could leave if I wanted to. There had been so much food and drink and music and dancing, and while it had been quite a fun night, I was just ready to go back to my room, take of my gown, and fall into the deepest sleep possible. I bit my lip and looked around, hoping to spot Eugene so I could at least say goodnight to him. The party had been moved out to the main square of Corona after the feast, and there were so many townspeople gathered round that there was hardly room to dance. I'd danced with a good many men that night, all of which asked if I was enjoying my stay, if the palace was comfortable, and many other questions, which I had just nodded and answered with polite responses. Eugene, how ever, had disappeared after the feast when the royal guards had been excused. He was much harder to spot in his normal brown vest and white shirt, but finally I caught a glimpse of him and my face lit.

"… and that is how I did it," Eugene was obviously just finishing up a story as I approached. All the men surrounding him applauded, and he smiled charmingly at me as I tapped his shoulder. "Speaking of the princess," he said to the crowd, who chuckled and made remarks as Eugene turned his back to them. He held what I figured to be a pint in his hand, and his face was slightly flushed, his eyes glassy.

"Eugene, are you alright?" I asked, my voice concerned. He looked me in the eye and smiled as he took another drink out of his glass.

"Never been better, Blondie," he murmured as he slung his arm over my shoulder. I wrinkled my nose as he put more weight on me than usual, but held my ground and kept him standing. "I just had a few too many is all, and after some sleep, I should be good to go!" He wobbled for a moment, and I held him up, a small frown on my face. I had no idea what had gotten into him… he was usually so pulled together, but here he was stumbling, his words slurring slightly every now and then.

"We should get you inside, then. C'mon, let's go," I marched towards the palace, his arm still around my shoulders, and he chuckled. People stepped aside as I made my way around the back of the crowd, trying to avoid going straight through the thickest part. I was tired of being around so many people, and I just wanted to lay down and sleep. Finally we reached the back entrance of the palace and I quickly slipped in. A maid spotted me and asked if she could get us anything. I told her to bring a cloth and basin of water to Mr. Rider's room and she hurriedly curtsied and scurried off. It took only a few minutes to get to Eugene's room, and as soon as we entered he flopped down onto his bed, face first.

"Roll over," I commanded him with a sigh. He did as I asked and smiled up at me.

"Hey gorgeous." I rolled my eyes and shook my head at him as the maid offered me the cloth, which she'd soaked in water.

"What did you do to yourself, Eugene?" I asked as I dabbed at his forehead. His skin was surprisingly cool to the touch. I had thought he would have some sort of fever since his skin was so flushed, but he felt normal. Maybe a little warm, but nothing to cause worry.

Eugene sat up then, and smiled at me. "I had a wee bit too much to drink," he mumbled as his fingers traced over my facial features. I tilted my head to the side, curious now. "You know… if you drink lots of alcohol it makes your head spin," he told me as he leaned in closer. He smelled like ale, I noticed. I wrinkled my nose and stood up straight. So too much alcohol made you act like a fool? Interesting, I couldn't help but think. I giggled as Eugene's fingers traced the outline of my lips, and then dropped to my waist. He pulled me in close and rested his head on my chest, and I gently ran my fingers through his hair. "You should sleep in here with me tonight," he told me then, his words muffled since he had spoken into my dress. I furrowed my eyebrows and frowned slightly.

"I don't think that is ok…" I told him with a small sigh. The first thing my etiquette teacher had gone over with me had been courtship and men, and mannerisms and how to behave around them. I was to be modest and shy, reserved, and not to show much skin. Any kind of touching besides to dance or to be escorted was not allowed, and clothes were never, _ever_ to be shed around a man, even if he was my betrothed. She told me the rules would change once I was wed, but until then, anything from her list was forbidden. Eugene sighed into my chest before sitting up and looking at me through groggy eyes.

"You're right…" He murmured sadly, and I couldn't help but giggle. "I'm going to pass out now, so… goodnight," Eugene murmured. He stood up, then, and pulled his vest and boots off before putting his hands on my shoulders and looking me straight in the eyes. My breath caught in my throat then, and I bit my lower lip as he slowly closed the distance between us. My blood was rushing in that funny way again, and my stomach was doing flip-flops. I could smell the alcohol on Eugene, but I could also smell the soft scent of his soap as well as his cologne, which was a musky, manly smell. One of his hands moved to my waist, then, and the other tilted my chin up so I was looking him in the eyes. My lips parted as the blood continued rushing, and I could feel my face flushing as his lips met mine for a brief second. I pulled away then, my cheeks a bright, flushed pink. My heart was thudding, and I was unsure of the small fire that seemed to be crackling in what I could only identify as the pit of my stomach.

"Good night, Eugene," I told him as I placed one quick, nervous kiss on his cheek and then quickly walked from the room, shutting the door behind me. I fled to my room quickly after removing my heels, running through the halls, my breath still coming in short bursts, but not from the physical activity. I had no idea what was going on… was this love? I gulped and shut the door behind me, pressing my back against the cool wood and letting my eyes flutter shut. I had no idea how Eugene did it to me, but he caused the most… amazing warm sensation to flow through my body whenever he was close to me.

"Well hello there, Princess," my eyes flew open and my breath caught in my throat as my eyes scanned the room. It was Marietta. I smiled softly at her and moved from the door, going over to sit on the edge of my bed. She stood from the chair she had been sitting in and placed my shoes in their place in the closet before coming over to me and pulling the pins from my hair. "Stand," she commanded.

I obliged and turned my back to her so she could start unbuttoning my dress. I stifled a yawn and stepped out of the dress, and she immediately started on the corset. "How long have you been waiting here?" I asked her, worry in my voice.

"Not longer than fifteen minutes," she told me. I nodded as she removed the corset and then removed my petticoats, and replaced them with a night dress. "Did you have fun at the banquet?" She asked.

I sighed and flopped back onto my bed, watching as I wiggled my finally free toes. "It was… fun, actually," I told her with a wide grin. I'd had much more fun than I thought I would have, and I enjoyed dancing with the towns' people and getting to know them. I'd met the bakers and plumbers, the guards and the wives, and I had loved every one I'd met. I smiled up at my ceiling as Marietta scurried around, putting things back in their places. Chewing on my lower lip I sat up suddenly and bounced off of the bed, heading over to my bed side table and rummaging through the drawer there. After a few seconds I found what I was looking for: my paints. Eugene had brought them to me yesterday afternoon, and I hadn't had time to get started on my first mural. Marietta watched me for a moment with a curious look in her eyes as I looked up at the tall wall in front of me. Without a word I grabbed a chair and pulled it over, then squeezed some paints onto my pallet and grabbed my paintbrushes. I singled one brush out, a thicker one for background painting, and stuck the other few behind my ears. With my lower lip in my mouth I carefully climbed onto the chair and started painting.

Hours passed, and I was hardly aware of the time flying. Marietta had left my room long ago, and I had only just finished my background when I realized the moon was getting lower and lower in the sky, and the sun would be popping up any minute now. I felt physically exhausted, but my mind was wide awake as I stepped off of my chair and stepped back a few paces, looking at my work. The mural wasn't even half way done, but so far it was looking just as I had hoped it would look. The sun was setting in my picture, and it was the very same courtyard Eugene and I had first danced in. The sunset alone had taken me at least an hour and a half, and the colors were a bright variety. The flagstones were a sandy brown in color, and the shop fronts were all different colors as well. That was all I had gotten done. I let out a soft sigh and cleaned up my work space, and then quickly fell into my bed. I hardly had time to wrap the covers around me before I was fast asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Whoo some cute fluff and stuff! Aaaaand, introduction of the next major plot! So please be kind, read and review and let me know what you think! I am thinking I'm gonna get up a few one shots soon, so keep an eye out for those too!

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><p>Exactly one week later, all of the festivities were finally over. After a long week of balls, banquets and dancing, I was exhausted, though thoroughly happy. It had been one amazing week, and not only had I learned a lot, but I had met so many people and made so many new friends. During the days I would go to classes and other royal duties, and by night I would go to all of the festivities to celebrate my return. I had been shocked at the excitement that had filled Corona, but now it made a bit more sense: they wanted hope and I guess I brought fresh hope to the city.<p>

For the first time I had been home, storm clouds hung over the palace, threatening to precipitate upon the city below. As I sat in my world studies class, my eyes kept wandering out of the room, chancing as many glances as I could towards the sky. Eugene had promised to take me out on a boat today, just for an afternoon to ourselves, but it seemed as if our plans would have to change. I sighed and looked back towards my tutor, who was looking at me expectantly. "Err, Alagasia. They border us on the southwest, right?" I asked, blinking my large green eyes. The tutor smiled and nodded.

"Indeed, Princess! And they are known for their most exported goods, the fig!" I sighed and rested my chin on my hand, watching the large clock that was slowly ticking off the seconds I had left. Only fifteen minutes until I was done for the rest of the day. It wasn't that I didn't like world studies, it was just that I had been sitting in the same chair the past five hours, being passed from tutor to tutor, and now I was ready to be done. Finally my tutor sighed and closed his book. "Sadly that is all we have time for today, Princess. But tomorrow we are covering Bohm, and their history!" He said, excitement evident in his tone. I wrinkled my nose but forced a smile.

"Yes, of course sir," I said. I gave him a quick curtsy and grabbed my books before rushing out of the room, and ramming straight into… "Eugene!" I cried, smiling widely. He always seemed to know when he was needed most. He was still in his practice gear from training, I noted, and he had a large basket in hand. "What's that?" I asked as my fingers moved to lift the lid of the wicker container.

Eugene smirked and slapped my fingers away, and I pulled my hand back, slightly shocked at his reaction. "It's a surprise," he informed me as he started walking down the hall. "Are you coming?" He asked as he looked over his shoulder and noticed I wasn't following him.

I hurriedly caught up with him, an uncertain smile on my face. I had always loved surprises. When my mother had a surprise for me, it meant something new and exciting, and usually the same was true with Eugene. He smirked and looked down at me, wiggling his eyebrows as he did so. I furrowed my brow, still confused, but followed him quietly, my hands behind my back. As we walked through the hall I noticed that rain was starting to fall from the sky now. It fell in thick, grey sheets, and hit the windows with more force than I thought was possible. The loud patter echoed through the tall hall ceilings in a haunting way, much different than when I had been in my tower. Everything in here just felt so large and… hollow. I inched closer to Eugene, something he noticed, and he smiled and took my hand. I immediately felt better and my chest stopped constricting. I inhaled deeply as I realized where we were headed and a soft smile pulled up the corners of my lips.

We reached the library in silence and Eugene smiled down at me. "I figured since we couldn't go for that boat ride we could just have a day to ourselves. And I figured the library is the one place they would least expect us to be," he said with that smirk I had grown so fond of. I could feel my stomach doing its usual flopping business when he looked at me, and I could feel my cheeks flushing, so I immediately pushed open the doors and traipsed inside, going straight to the usual table where we sat. Eugene shook his head, though, and grabbed my hand. "Back this way," he nodded with his head towards the back of the library, the further parts I had yet to really explore. The library was vast, and I had to take it in sections. Sometimes my father would find me curled up at a table fast asleep in the late hours, since I had a bad habit of falling asleep while reading in here. I stopped for a moment, wondering where he was going, but hurriedly followed him around a bookshelf and…

And he was gone. I panicked for a moment, my eyes darting around and my hands instinctively reaching for something, anything to defend myself with. I heard Eugene laugh then, and looked over through the bookshelf. He was peeping at me between to large tomes, I noticed, and I let out a sigh and smiled weakly before hurrying after him. As I rounded the corner I stopped and my brow furrowed. A large cloth had been spread on the floor in front of a large window, and there were stacks of books surrounding the cloth, as if they had been pushed aside to make room. Eugene's basket sat open and I chewed my lip, looking from the cloth back to him. He walked over and sat down then, right in the middle of the cloth. He patted for me to come and sit beside him and I gingerly did so, arranging the skirts of my pale yellow gown around my legs. "What is the point of all of this?" I asked, my brow furrowed and a confused frown on my lips. He grinned in a boyish way, and it was contagious. My frown instantly turned into a grin, and I watched as he reached into his basket.

"A picnic. C'mon, you have to have had one of these, right?" He asked as he pulled some bread and chicken out and placed them on the ground. I frowned again and shook my head.

"A picnic?" I said the word, testing it out, and looked over at him, curious now. I scooted in a bit closer to him. His expression was one of shock and I rolled my eyes. "I never left my tower, remember?" I reminded Eugene sadly. It was the truth. Gothel had never taken me on a so called picnic, nor had she taken me for walks or let me go swimming or do any of the normal things girls my age had done.

"Right, right. Sometimes I just forget, sorry," he said with a sympathetic smile and a shrug. He handed me some bread, cheese and chicken all stacked together, sandwich style, and I took a delicate bite as my etiquette instructor had taught me. He smirked and watched me for a second before taking a rather large bit and chewing thoughtfully. Once he had swallowed he turned back to his basket and took out a book, which he handed to me. I looked curiously from him to the book, and my smile instinctively widened as my thin fingers ran over the title of the book. "The tales of Flynnigan Rider," it read. "I found it here, in this library the other day when I was waiting for you," he said with a wide smile. He took the book from me and flipped it open, his fingers lightly tracing the picture there. "It's the same copy I had. I mean, not the exact one I owned, but the same edition," he said softly. I smiled gently at him and rested my head on his shoulder as I took another bite of my sandwich.

"Will you read it to me?" I asked him meekly, my eyes looking up at him through long lashes. His gaze softened as his fingers came up to gently trace over my cheeks. I could feel my cheeks heating again, the blood rushing beneath my skin due to his touch, and the way his eyes looked at me… I couldn't explain the emotions there, but I knew that I liked it. I bit my lip and looked down, but his fingers cupped my chin and forced my gaze back upwards. I looked him in the eyes then, watching as he seemed to calculate something deep within those hazel eyes of his. I didn't… understand. None of it made sense. I wanted to stop right there and ask Eugene to explain the rushing of my blood and the fire in the pit of my stomach, but I felt like words were the wrong thing right now. Instead I pressed my lips together, inhaling slowly, feeling like any kind of movement was the wrong kind at this point in time. Eugene's fingers tenderly traced up my jaw line, almost as if he was memorizing the curves of my face. I licked my lips and opened my mouth as if to speak but he shook his head and put his finger over my lips.

"You don't always have to speak," He informed me softly. Lesson number one, I presumed. Eugene told me he would teach me everything I needed to know… was this one of those things? I nodded compliantly, watching as Eugene slowly closed the space between us, his lips finally meeting mine. I let my eyes slide closed, and held the kiss for a moment, but I was quickly running out of breath, and after a few seconds I pulled away, gasping for air. He smiled at me and rolled his eyes. "Breathe through your nose," he instructed. Puzzled I looked up at him and took in a deep breath. That would solve one of the problems. I inhaled deeply once more, trying to calm my racing heart. A warm feeling was spreading from the pit of my stomach through my limbs and I looked at Eugene curiously.

I took his hand in mine, and pressed it against my chest, where my heart was. He looked at me curiously, his fingers tense as I pressed them against my gown and skin. "Why is it doing that?" I asked him, still a bit breathless.

"Doing what?" He asked.

"Pounding. Can't you feel it?" I urged him. I moved his hand away and placed my smaller one in it's spot. I could feel my heart throbbing inside of me, and furrowed my brow. I didn't understand why he made me feel so… the word escaped me. He just made me feel so different than I ever had felt in my entire life. It was understandable, since the only love I had felt was for my mother, and I didn't feel the same about her as I did about Eugene. I inhaled and exhaled in frustration.

"What's wrong?" Eugene asked, picking up my aggravation as I scooted back from him and frowned, my eyes focused on my hands. He grabbed my hands, taking them in his own, and brought my chin up with his other hand, forcing me to look him in the eyes.

I sighed and glanced the other way, hiding the frustrated tears that threatened to pour out. "I… I just don't understand," I told him weakly. The tears that had threatened to spill finally poured over, slowly streaking down my cheeks. As his thumb gently brushed them away I made no move to avoid his contact this time. I was too focused on trying to understand. It was like I was a child again, trying to stand up on my own two feet, but falling down every time I almost had it. I could feel all of these things, but they were just so new and so strong and even when I thought I understood, I discovered there was a whole new facet to that emotion. Like a few days ago, when I had seen Eugene dancing in the square. He'd been with the townsfolk, who had surprisingly taken a liking to him, and he'd been waiting on me, but had been dragged into the dance before I'd even made my entrance. A girl with lovely, flowing hair and bright green eyes had held his hands, and I'd found that I was clenching my fists in anger and… something else. I had come to the realization that it was jealousy, something I had inferred as I had watched them spin once more then bow and curtsey as the song ended. I remembered the burning of my cheeks, the way I avoided his gaze, looking down only at the ground as I tried to remind myself that it wasn't Eugene's fault, he was only enjoying himself. But I didn't want anyone else to make him feel the way he made me feel. And what if that girl had done just that?

Eugene's strong arms took me by surprise as he pulled me in close to him. It was like he could read my mind sometimes, because he always knew how to handle situations like these. For a moment we just sat there, still as stone, the only sound the slow whoosh of our breathing and my occasional sniffle. I needed to let all of these emotions settle again, but that wasn't possible. Whenever Eugene was this close, it was not possible for anything to settle. I sighed against his chest and shifted my weight, reorganizing myself. I was seated on his lap now, my cheek resting against his shoulder, my arms encircling him as he held me close. I felt a soft sigh ripple through his chest and as I shifted again, his body tensed for a moment. He slowly released his muscles of their tension as I sat back, my eyes searching out his. His expression seemed almost as confused as I felt, and under his careful scrutiny, I felt my cheeks blush a rosy shade, and I became even more aware of his one arm wrapped around my waist, the other which was running slow, curving lines up my forearm, then back down, then up. Each stroke left a new line of fire, followed by chilling goose bumps, which were slowly spreading over my whole body. It only added to the confusion.

My mind was trying to form a sentence, to break the tension I could feel slowly rising between us. Before I could speak, though, Eugene had pulled me in so close to him I could feel the warmth of his breath against my lips. The look in his eyes had changed from confusion to something new, something more… intense. I couldn't put words to it even as I tried. Before I could calculate further, his lips mashed against mine in a way that was much more forceful than what I was used to. After the shock of his aggression sunk in, I let myself relax into him. My arms timidly wound around his neck as his snaked around my waist, pulling me closer against him. Our kisses were always so light and innocent that something of this passion took me off guard. I didn't know what to do or how to react, but I did know that the fire that was usually contained to my stomach was spreading through my veins, driving me and urging me for more. More what, though, I was unsure.

The feel of Eugene's fingers tracing up my side made me gasp, and he smirked, squeezing me closer as if to meld us into one being. I found myself slightly shocked, as my body seemed to take the lead, pushing myself closer to him and knocking him backwards onto the blanket, sending a stack of books flying. I giggled quietly against Eugene's lips, and he responded with a smirk and a playful kiss pressed against the nape of my neck. This discovery of a new soft spot sent a shiver through my body, and a slight 'Oh!' escaped my lips as Eugene tightened his grip on me. We laid there for a second, absorbing our situation, relishing the electrified silence. I didn't understand, and I figured it would take some time, but in the long run, it would be worth it. He would just have to be patient was all.

I rested my hands on Eugene's chest, folding them properly as I had been taught. He was on his back now, and I was on top of him, and I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach that if someone were to come in right now, I would be in deep trouble. Eugene had propped his head up on one hand while the other was absently brushing through my hair, tracing over my skin, and just touching me, as if he planned on memorizing every contour of my body. "Tell me a story," I murmured as I watched the rain slide down the glass. Eugene smirked and nodded, and before long, we were immersed in a world of adventure.

The spark that ignited in Eugene's eyes was one that made my heart light. His love for adventure was obvious in the verve with which he told his stories. Some of them were personal adventures he'd taken through his life, and others were ones he consulted the Flynnigan Rider book for. I sat on Eugene's lap, my head resting on his shoulder and my eyes trained on his face, and he held me close, using one hand to paint his tales while the other stayed securely around my waist. "… and that was when the chef heard us out back and ran us all out," Eugene finished up his story, chuckling lightly. I giggled as well, smiling up at him, before placing a soft kiss on his neck. "Then there was the time I stole a woman's pearl necklace, only to give it to her a week later without her ever realizing it was gone," he chuckled again and I scoffed, but it was playful. Everyone knew that Eugene was a wanted thief, and in some people's eyes, that would never change. It didn't matter all that much to me, though. Eugene was the man who had saved me and taken me home to my lost family. No one could ever tell me a story that would erase one memory from my mind: the night he took me to see the lanterns. That one night erased millions of stories about him being a thief, easily. A bad man wouldn't waste his day taking a silly girl to see some stupid lanterns, not if he truly didn't care.

"What about you, Blondie?" His voice pulled be back from my memories and my brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?"

"Got any stories from that tower of yours?" Eugene quizzically arched one eyebrow and I fidgeted in his lap. Eugene and I made a point of not talking about the tower. It brought back all of those horrible memories, and I hated thinking about it. What I hadn't thought about in the longest time, though, was memories before that birthday, before I knew Eugene, or Flynn Rider as he had been called at the time. I chewed my lip as he brushed some rogue hairs from my eyes.

"Every day was always the same… wake up, clean, read, paint, cook, sew… I don't really have any stories that differ from that…" I informed him, my breath hitching. We were silent for a moment, and I could feel his eyes on me. It was almost as if he felt sympathetic. There was so much I hadn't done. I looked out the window for a moment, then back at Eugene.

"So… you never went swimming?" I shook my head. "No snowball fights?" Another head shake. "Or playing in the rain?" I shrugged. The days were always the same in the tower. Mother never let me out, and I never asked until I was old enough to realize. Without warning, Eugene had maneuvered himself up off the ground and pulled me up as well. There was that smirk of his that I loved so much and knew so well. It meant he was up to something. "C'mon," he said as he pulled on my hand, leaving the picnic basket there on the floor.

"Where are we going?" I asked breathlessly as we quickly maneuvered through the halls. Both of us were learning our way around here rather well, and when Eugene stopped at a side door, one that was used by the guards to go out to the training quarters, I looked questioningly at him. He wiggled his eyebrows and pushed the door open, revealing the soaking wet outside. I grimaced for a moment before looking up at him. "I don't understand…"

"C'mon, Blondie! I'm just helping fill in all those childhood memories you don't have. Every kid played in the rain, it's fun! And relaxing!" He bent over then and pulled off his boots as well as rolled off his trousers to right above the knee. Next he stacked his jacket on top of his boots, leaving him in his crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow. I frowned and nervously kicked off my shoes as well, looking down at my pretty yellow gown. It was as if he could read my mind. "Don't worry about the dress, they can clean it," he said as his finger gently stroked my cheek. A small shiver ran down my spine and I watched as Eugene stepped out into the pouring rain, then reached in to pull me out as well.

The first few drops that landed on the crown of my head were cold and sent a wave of goosebumps across my skin, and as they drizzled down my scalp, tickling my flesh, I couldn't help but let out a small giggle. The back courtyard was completely empty except the two of us, and Eugene was already skipping off ahead of me, making a point of splashing in every mud puddle that crossed his path. "Are you coming?" He teased from a distance. His shirt was already soaked through, for the rain was coming down pretty hard already, and I could feel the water slowly seeping through the thicker fabric of my dress. Smiling widely at Eugene's silly grin, I gathered my skirts in my hands and skipped after him, dancing through the puddles and making a point of splashing through the mud. It spattered my pale legs, and my feet were already covered, and I couldn't help but laugh as I stopped for a moment, dropped my skirts, and extended my arms, palms up. The water felt soothing, as if it were washing away any fears or worries I might have. I spun around then, quite a few times, my eyes closed and my face upturned towards the gray clouds. It was almost like a silly dance. I stopped spinning and opened my eyes, a wide grin on my face. The whole world was spinning around me and I stumbled a few steps, falling into Eugene. He held me up, chuckling softly and ruffling my short brown locks before he showered my face in a few soft, wet kisses. I giggled and pulled back, kicking a little bit of mud up over his toes. His response was to pull me in closer and dip me in a way that mimicked a dance move, before swinging me back up and pressing another wet kiss against my lips. I leaned into him as he swung me around in a big circle, and giggled as I was once against set on my feet. Almost as soon as his lips found mine once more, though, a loud, very obvious snort cut through the sound of the dripping rain, and both of our heads turned as if we'd been caught in some horrible act.

A very wet, slightly muddy Maximus was standing directly beside us, looking as cross as ever. I giggled and lowered myself off of my tip toes before turning to stroke Max's muzzle. He pulled away and snorted, his eyes still glaring at Eugene who was rolling his eyes. "We were behaving ourselves," Eugene informed Maximus whose ears immediately pinned back. It was obvious the palace guard didn't trust Eugene. "Fine, fine. We'll go back to the castle. It's close to dinner time anyways," Eugene mumbled the last part, and before I could complain, he'd scooped me up in his arms, muddy dress and all, and we were trudging back towards the castle, whose warm light was seeping through the windows. I did have to admit, the idea of sitting out drying in front of a fire sounded almost perfect right now.

At dinner that night, my mother seemed cross and my father put off. They were both quiet, something that was unusual, and left Eugene and I to ourselves as we conversed about the difference between normal horses and Max, and how annoying Eugene found it that the horse always seemed to know where he was. S soon as the last course had left the table, my father pushed his chair back and both my mother and I stood, but he waved us off. "Eugene, could I have a word in my office?" He asked in a rather flat tone. I furrowed my brows, as did my mother, and Eugene looked haltingly from me to my mother and back to my father. It wasn't that the king hated him, it was just that we all felt my father was testing Eugene every time he spoke to him or gave him a task to do. Eugene had proved himself more than once, but it almost seemed as if my father didn't want to accept him and have to give me up as soon as he'd gotten me back. I nervously chewed on my lip as the men filed out, and looked to my mother. She just shook her head and stood as well, stalking out of the room and heading towards her chambers, I assumed.

I thought about following after my mother and asking for an explanation, but she seemed to cross at this current time, so instead I headed for my bedroom. Marietta was already there with a fire going when I arrived, and she smiled up at me from her chair where she had been stitching up a tear in one of my gowns. I greeted her warmly before heading over to my paint box, because at this point in time painting seemed like the best thing to do. We each went about our task in silence, before I turned to her with a curious expression on my face. "Marietta, have you ever been in love?" I asked her as I added a bit more paint to the flowers I was adding in to the growing scene on my wall.

The blonde looked up at me before answering. "Only once, princess," She told me as she went back to her sewing.

"What was it like?" I prompted. Marietta sighed and set her needle down as she looked thoughtfully into the fire. I'd changed into a fresh gown before dinner, but the fire's heat felt nice as it warmed the room, removing the last traces of cold the rain had left in my body.

"It's different for everyone, princess," She said with a sigh. I frowned and turned back to my painting, wondering how that was possible. If it was different for everyone, how did anyone even know when it was true? I was about to ask this exact question when there was a knock on the door. Eugene didn't even bother for an invite in, and immediately stalked over to the fire where he stood, his hands on his hips, staring absently into the flames that licked at the dry logs. Marietta didn't wait to be asked and instead took her leave, looking between us before silently pulling the door shut. I immediately stepped over to Eugene and took his hand in mine.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly as I pulled him to face me. He sighed and looked back into the flames. "Why was my father and mother so mad?" I added on quietly. He sighed again and finally looked at me, calculating how to say the words he was obviously thinking.

His fingers gently traced along my cheek as his lips opened. "We're going on another adventure," He told me with a slight smile. I gave him a questioning look and he smiled a bit wider. "We're going to go to one of the neighboring kingdoms, they want to visit with you and meet Corona's future ruler. And I'm going to be one of the guards protecting you," He added with a small smile.

So another another adventure? I felt the excitement course through me. It would be nice to get out of these walls and be back in the wonderful outdoors. I let out an excited squeal and threw my arms around him. "It will be just like our last!" I told him. Eugene didn't seem as thrilled about the idea as I was.


End file.
